Europe remains a very attractive region for industry’s R&D attention, given its strong environmental stance on eco-friendliness and greenness. Recently a host of new technical and product developments have borne that out across a variety of very different print and ink sectors. This article pulls three contrasting applications and outcomes together from the textile, electronics and packaging sectors.

New Renewable Textile Black Ink Technology

A major breakthrough that has recently been announced was that of a new bio-based pigment printing system for the textile industry, something developed after more than two years of R&D work by Archroma.

The main challenges here have been color fastness and the development of commercial-scale production levels. Ideally, the technology is applied within the eco-textiles area. The technology overcomes the hurdles of color fastness, wet rub and dry rub and represents one of the earliest breakthroughs in using natural pigments for textile printing. Naturally occurring pigments often lack in the realms of color fastness.

Called the NTR Printing System, the technology incorporates appreciable quantities of renewable raw materials that pave the way for brilliant blacks in the textile printing sector. The achievement lies in the fact that renewable materials have been incorporated into the three main chemical products, viz. the pigment dispersion, binder and fixing agent chemistries.

The levels of bio-based substitution in the system’s chemicals are impressive:
• The pigment, PRINTOFIX BLACK NTR-TF, has been produced with 79% renewable carbon content (based on ASTM D6866). It’s a non-gelling pigment black.
• The binder, HELIZARIN NTR-SS, is a super-soft and formaldehyde-free binder that contains 40% renewable carbon.
• The fixing agent, LUPRINTOL Fixing Agent NTR-HF, is also formaldehyde-free and contains a similar 40% level of renewable carbon.

Each of these three elements is currently being evaluated for compliance with globally accepted standards such as bluesign, the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC). The system also supports major industry-restricted substances list (RSL) requirements.

The company developed the new system to avoid toxic input streams and impurities. Two successful bulk trials were conducted with Textprint S. A. and Jeanologia.

The technology also represents a step change by making the process formaldehyde-free and can be used in most application technologies, including printing, coating and continuous pigment dyeing.

“These properties make the new NTR Printing System ideal for the highly competitive denim market, where sustainability, comfort and durability are important; for knits, where very soft handfeel is essential; and on babywear, where both exceptional softness and safety are required,” Joaquin Femat, market segment director for printing, Archroma, said.

Towards Printed Electronics without Metals

Meanwhile in the graphene sector, a technology with huge eco- and performance potential for inks and coatings, collaborative research between the University of Sussex in the UK and Advanced Material Development (AMD). has pioneered a step forward in carbon nano-material ink technology, where conductivity levels of 3,000,000 Sm-¹ have been achieved, approximating the levels of current metal-based solutions.

Previously the greatest conductivity attained by industry was 500,000 Sm-¹, so the new breakthrough represents a six-fold increase in what is achievable.

“This is essentially the quantum shift in capability that those in the graphene space have long awaited. By enhancing the conductivity of our inks six-fold, we can now offer a viable alternative to traditional metal-based components in electronics, enabling the production of devices that are both high performing, robust and environmentally friendly. For example, recyclable and compostable electronic solutions could easily replace metals in RFID antennas, serving industries such as food packaging, where the presence of metal is unacceptable, and apparel, where cost and sustainable solutions are key,” said John Lee, CEO of Advanced Material Development.

Soft-Feel Flexo Coatings from Toyo Ink Europe

Meanwhile, as the consumer packaging experience continues to move in different dimensions in terms of simplicity, consumer reach and eco-friendliness, Toyo Ink Europe has introduced a range of soft feel flexo coatings that tap into one of the major trends in the printing sector.

Usually, soft-touch effects are achieved via lamination, which effectively employs a quasi-film layer that is imperceptible. But although lamination produces good results, the technique is costly to use. More modern technologies, such as those developed by Toyo Ink Europe, offer a less expensive alternative based on UV-curable and water-based coatings.

Two new soft-touch coatings are available: a UV-curable one (EXC97125) and a water-based one (AQ645). They both impart a premium quality that consumers can feel. The smooth, matte finish looks elegant and provides the feeling of luxury that customers associate with high-end products; this perception of quality is critical in markets where packaging or other marketing support influences buying decisions, helping brands stand out as the more refined choice. In addition, both coatings boast great resistance qualities, especially in terms of scuff and scratch resistance and fingerprint resistance, helping to keep appearances pristine as long as possible.

Sensory effects do not have to begin and end only with these two coatings. Both may be combined with other finishing techniques such as embossing, foil stamping and spot UV, in order to create multiple sensory effects, thereby furthering many more options for packaging designers.